His comments set off a firestorm and scores of players reacted by taking a knee prior to this past Sunday's games. Heck, some teams didn't even come out for the anthem, while one performance -- by a Michigan singer named Rico LaVelle at the Lions' game -- ended with the singer getting on a knee and raising a fist.

Getty Images

Getty Iimages

Getty Images

Trump's remarks opened the chasm between those who support the players taking a knee and those who oppose it even wider, with the hashtag #takeaknee trending in response.

They also followed another foray into the world of sports when he criticized Steph Curry for hemming and hawing about whether or not he'd visit the White House with his NBA champion Warriors.

Even with other leagues getting involved, the anthem controversy is a messy affair mostly for the NFL and comes at a tough time for the league, which is battling sliding ratings and bad press in connection with head injuries that have left players with health issues long after they retire. Now, it also runs the risk of fans jumping ship in the name of patriotism. It's a dicey matter with no end in the foreseeable future.